(2014-2020) Disney's GRAND FLORIDIAN RESORT & SPA + VILLAS Information & Questions

[wonderlandwego]

Just checked in today! We're staying CL (RPC). We arrived via ME & were appeoached by name by a CM who took us up to RPC, gave us all the info, & escorted us right into our room! We were upgraded. We had just a regular 2 queen room & now have a king with balcony! I requested "4423", "4323" or "beach pool view". We're in 4429. We love our room! Our balcony is huge & wraps around the corner! Will post pics later.

I'll answer an questions that I can.

How nice! Have a wonderful trip!

Twenty-nine days !!!

You'll be there the same time as me.

 

[wonderlandwego]

Just booked our cabana for 11/26! I don't think the pool will be very crowded in November, but I thought it would be nice to have a place to leave and come back to.

 

[BlueSkies]

We have been celebrating our 25th. all year.
Mini get aways, Chicago, New York, Canada and a summer caribean cruise

For this vacation at the GF was a bonus booking for us, never thought we could do it with the DD in college (yup paying tuition, apartment, car payment) (and no she is staying at college and we are childless for the first vacation in 21 years).

We booked Circe d sole, and a couple of our favorite restuarants, like Tonys and Crystal palace and cannot remember the one at the Yacht club.
And will do all the parks.

Now cannot wait till Sunday already have the mine ride and space mountain booked, we never could do that before.

And taking our costumes for the scary halloween party.

Was sad to hear the gasparillas was closed, and also renovation on Rock n Roll roller coaster.

Thanks for the well wishes and pray for our safe journey.

Take care.

A nice long celebration . ..good for you!! ...25 years is wuite a milestone..All of your plans sound wonderful ! Thanks for sharing! and Enjoy!

Hello everyone, hope everyone is well!!

I come by quick and try to say all caught up with everyone, but life has been a little busy.

My family was planning to visit the Grand in early January but it has been changed to 3 nights versus 5 which stinks. My only alternative is late December and we would be there for New Years Eve. My question to the experts is.....how busy and how crazy is it then? Would I be better off at a quieter time for less days?

Thanks so much for all your help in advance.

Hey you!! ...Good to see you! I personally would go at the much lower crowd time in early January . ..That last week of December is just packed . ..but then...lol..you are WDW veterans...and do know how to manage your park time...so it could work out fine...No help..loI...sorry!!...Still...we would take less days and lower crowds . ..and room rates too...

Wow, I've read of TWO fabulous upgrades to lucky Dis-ers above! I always wish for pixie dust like that! Only happened to us once.

Re: Lynn, the Teddy Bear Lady, we learned last month (around the 6th of Sept) that she was in a rehab/assisted living situation, possibly temporarily. If she's back by now, perhaps someone will let us know.

On another note, DH and I are headed back to Calif. at the end of this week, and of course, yours truly HAS to go visit DL!! I'll be there for the opening day of the Christmas season, plus Dapper Day.
Looking forward to it.

(hi right back, Blue!)

Thanks for the info on Lynne grannyminnie ..and have a fabulous trip to California and DL...what a,way to kick off the holidays!

MissMet..Thats one of the few standard king rooms in RPC . .and is not in a bookable category . ..but by request only...its shaped a bit differently..and has that super nice balcony...Lucky you !!! Enjoy...

~A GF fact for the day..as we were speaking of the wonderful GF greeter Richard...a friend of mine was there today.and told me today is in fact his 25th anniversary there! How very Grand!!

 

[busymommy2pink]

Hi everyone!

We have decided to book a cabana for our pool day. We are having a full resort day to take it all in.

My very best friend, her husband and their two kids are staying down the monorail at contemporary and our dates overlap a bit. Are they allowed to join us for our cabana day and the kids swim together? We have plans to do the luau together that night as well! Do I need special permission? Purchase day passes for them? Want to abide by the rules!!! Never been to Disney with friends before?!!!

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Hi everyone!

We have decided to book a cabana for our pool day. We are having a full resort day to take it all in.

My very best friend, her husband and their two kids are staying down the monorail at contemporary and our dates overlap a bit. Are they allowed to join us for our cabana day and the kids swim together? We have plans to do the luau together that night as well! Do I need special permission? Purchase day passes for them? Want to abide by the rules!!! Never been to Disney with friends before?!!!

There is a whole thread on that here. http://www.disboards.com/threads/using-pools-at-other-resorts-faq-and-questions-new.3435293/

 

[busymommy2pink]

There is a whole thread on that here. http://www.disboards.com/threads/using-pools-at-other-resorts-faq-and-questions-new.3435293/

Will go read there. Thanks!

 

[GrrArrgh]

When we were there, I don't believe the pools were gated off (at least the pool with the slide and the splash area weren't) and they never appeared crowded. I don't recall seeing any posted signage about who was allowed pool access.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

When we were there, I don't believe the pools were gated off (at least the pool with the slide and the splash area weren't) and they never appeared crowded. I don't recall seeing any posted signage about who was allowed pool access.

Pool hopping is not allowed. Actually, it is allowed, but only for those that are part of DVC.

 

[GrrArrgh]

Did I say whether it was allowed? I thought I just described the pool area.

Edit: I didn't see a sign, but there is a large white Pool Rules sign that states the pool is for the exclusive use of the GF guests. Since it's an uncrowded pool, I think it's worth asking the life guard if your guests could join you.

 

[Sue M]

Wow, I've read of TWO fabulous upgrades to lucky Dis-ers above! I always wish for pixie dust like that! Only happened to us once.

Re: Lynn, the Teddy Bear Lady, we learned last month (around the 6th of Sept) that she was in a rehab/assisted living situation, possibly temporarily. If she's back by now, perhaps someone will let us know.

On another note, DH and I are headed back to Calif. at the end of this week, and of course, yours truly HAS to go visit DL!! I'll be there for the opening day of the Christmas season, plus Dapper Day.
Looking forward to it.

(hi right back, Blue!)

Have a great trip!

 

[grannyminnie]

Have a great trip!

thanks! and to you too, Blue. The only thing that would make my trip better would be if my sis, my Disney buddy, was along this time!

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

Did I say whether it was allowed? I thought I just described the pool area.

Edit: I didn't see a sign, but there is a large white Pool Rules sign that states the pool is for the exclusive use of the GF guests. Since it's an uncrowded pool, I think it's worth asking the life guard if your guests could join you.

That is true, you never said whether or not it was allowed.

You simply said, after someone else directed the poster to the rules, that you didn't see any rules and that the pool you didn't see a fence.

So what did you add to the conversation? Never mind it isn't important. The OP has been giving a link to the rules and knows that pool hopping is not allowed.

 

[WishesQueen]

Good Morning!!

BlueSkies - How are you? I was so happy to see you were back on the boards. I was doing well for a while here and then school started...lol!! Thanks for the help, I assumed the same thing. Its getting so hard to find time to go away with the kids as their getting older.

Hi everyone!

We have decided to book a cabana for our pool day. We are having a full resort day to take it all in.

My very best friend, her husband and their two kids are staying down the monorail at contemporary and our dates overlap a bit. Are they allowed to join us for our cabana day and the kids swim together? We have plans to do the luau together that night as well! Do I need special permission? Purchase day passes for them? Want to abide by the rules!!! Never been to Disney with friends before?!!!

I never read any official rules on the subject but for years friends of ours have joined us in our cabana that were staying in another hotel or other friends from Florida. I have always asked permission at the front desk and with the cabana people and they have never had a problem with any of it. We of course always took very good care of them in return. Good luck

 

[trishadono]

Just checked in today! We're staying CL (RPC). We arrived via ME & were appeoached by name by a CM who took us up to RPC, gave us all the info, & escorted us right into our room! We were upgraded. We had just a regular 2 queen room & now have a king with balcony! I requested "4423", "4323" or "beach pool view". We're in 4429. We love our room! Our balcony is huge & wraps around the corner! Will post pics later.

I'll answer an questions that I can.

i loved that room! That balcony was so fun!

 

[trishadono]

Wow, I've read of TWO fabulous upgrades to lucky Dis-ers above! I always wish for pixie dust like that! Only happened to us once.

Re: Lynn, the Teddy Bear Lady, we learned last month (around the 6th of Sept) that she was in a rehab/assisted living situation, possibly temporarily. If she's back by now, perhaps someone will let us know.

On another note, DH and I are headed back to Calif. at the end of this week, and of course, yours truly HAS to go visit DL!! I'll be there for the opening day of the Christmas season, plus Dapper Day.
Looking forward to it.

(hi right back, Blue!)

Dapper Day! Wish we could go!

 

[Magical JenK]

Anyone there now speak to the closure of Gasparilla? To be honest, we use it mostly for the refills, which sounds like that can be done at at Mizners & at each of the pools? Anyone know how late those are open until? From what I understand, there are "to go" items at GF Cafe, but wondering if they're considered Counter Service credits? We arrive in 2 weeks & am having dejavu as it was closed for a few days during our last trip too (Sept 2015). Thanks in advance.

 

[xipotec]

I know Kona at the Poly can be a wait for breakfast.

What About GFG? Wait times in AM before park opening long?

 

[pas130]

@pas130 - packing is, in deed, so over rated!

BTW - we just arrived - staying at the Swan for Food & Wine, because as we know -- it is all about the food!
And WINE

Tom

Can't wait to hear all about it!!!

Any unusual things to look for at the GF? (Like to hidden Mickey at the entrence to POLY?

Find the elusive "pas130" and her hubby, they will be there at the same time There are a lot of little hidden touches in the lobby. It's so pretty there.

Hi everyone! We just got back from spending 1 night at the GF. We were upgraded to the Royal Palm concierge in the main building, which was quite unexpected and GREATLY appreciated! We were given a 4th floor room, overlooking 7 Seas Lagoon and Cinderella's Castle, directly above Gasparilla's. It was breathtaking. This was my second time staying at the GF, and it was just as beautiful as I remembered from 2009.

Lovely, congrats on the upgrade

So I am single digit dancing!!Popped in quickly, and have to pop back off to go back to homework. But Happy November Grand Groupies!!! TWO trips to the Grand for me this month! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 

[TJA]

So I am single digit dancing!!Popped in quickly, and have to pop back off to go back to homework. But Happy November Grand Groupies!!! TWO trips to the Grand for me this month! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Very nice! I can't wait to hear about it! I sincerely hope your stay is awesome

 

[trishadono]

So I am single digit dancing!!Popped in quickly, and have to pop back off to go back to homework. But Happy November Grand Groupies!!! TWO trips to the Grand for me this month! WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Woooooo woooo! You have 2!